Accumulation of wax in the external auditory canal can cause reduced hearing, tinnitus (ie. ringing in the ears) and some discomfort, as well as predisposing the ear to infection.
The current typical practice for removing the build-up of ear wax involves the introduction of a cleaning fluid, such as water, into the canal using a syringe. The introduced fluid circulates in the canal and then drains out of the ear carrying with it the wax and any other foreign matter present in the canal. The fluid, wax and/or foreign matter draining from the ear is typically collected in a dish or other vessel which is held below the ear.
Some problems with the current method are that it is messy, not very effective and that there is a high incidence of perforation of the eardrum. This latter problem results from the injected fluid or in some instances the syringe being introduced too far into the canal and inadvertently directly striking the delicate structures of the eardrum.
It would be desirable to have an apparatus for cleaning wax and other foreign matter from the ear canal which presented a decreased risk of damaging the eardrum.